Gazing at Emerald Eyes
by James Field
Summary: Previously a spin-off of "Through Emerald Eyes: Hogwarts reads Harry Potter". Now a standalone collection of fluffy, albeit somber one-shots involving various women in the Potter universe and their interactions with the emerald eyed Boy-Who-Lived. Featuring the likes of Tonks, Fleur, Katie, Lily Moon, etc. Rating may change with coming chapter.


**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Here's my first one-shot chapter for the girls that will be featured in "Through Emerald Eyes". I sincerely hope you enjoy it. It's raw and unbeta'd, so forgive any small errors you may find. I just wanted to get this out there while it was still in me. I'm not fully satisfied with the ending, so in time I may lengthen it and tighten up what I'm trying to put in words, since I find _myself_ rather lost in expressing how these two characters feel about one another in such a short time. But hey! That's what love tends to do to ya'. Anyways, I hope you enjoy, and please share your thoughts with me via a review. More to come in the following days. Cheers!

* * *

"Words," – what a character's speaking

'_Thoughts_,' – what a character's thinking

* * *

A muffled creak was barely heard in the silence of Number 12 Grimmauld Place, as a pair of feet made their way down the stairs and across the hall to the kitchen. Not a single other occupant in the house was awake at that moment, seeing as it was the holidays and pushing 3 a.m. This, of course, was just fine with the person who was silently gliding across the ebony-covered floor. Harry Potter felt he could use a quiet cup of tea to clear his head.

He'd just awoken from yet another fitful night of sleep, wherein he'd experienced another flashback of the events that transpired at the end of the third task. No matter how often the scene played over in his mind, it was still haunting. Watching as Cedric's body was flung aside by the killing curse; seeing the life leave his companions eyes in the matter of a second as the breath that the older boy was in the process of taking was released, never to be captured again. While most of the fright and pain that had once accompanied such a nightmare was now gone, Harry still felt the dull ache of regret and guilt whenever he had such dreams. _'At least it wasn't a vision of that bloody corridor_,' Harry mused.

Entering the unlit kitchen, he made his way to the pantry that held the tea on instinct alone. He'd long since gotten accustomed to the layout of the kitchen, as waking up with a sweat after a particularly bad dream was a common occurrence for the raven-haired teen. This, along with his proficient memory, combined with all of the times Mrs. Weasley had forced him, Ron, and Hermione to clean the house, had allowed the Boy-Who-Lived to acclimate to Sirius' house and the contents therein rather quickly. Despite the current state of the ancestral manner, he'd rarely ever felt more at home in his life than he felt in this house. Perhaps it had to do with how few places he'd been to that felt this safe or comfortable, or it was just being in the same complex as Sirius. Regardless, Number 12' had an ancient and mystifying spirit all its own that had grown on the fifteen year old wizard. He only wished he could stay here forever, happily with his godfather and friends.

Mentally batting away those far-too-optimistic thoughts, Harry opened up the pantry and allowed his hands to fumble in the dark. Feeling around for the box of tea that was usually on the right hand side, he found that the object of his throats desires wasn't present. He continued searching with his hands for a moment, and was about to turn to light a nearby candle, when he suddenly froze due to a sudden source of light from behind him. Apparently, he hadn't been as alone as he'd first thought. Slightly alarmed that he'd let his guard down, even if for a moment, Harry slowly turned his head to get a sideways glimpse of the person who undoubtedly had a wand trained on him. While this may have been headquarters, he could never be sure of a person's true intentions, and at the moment he was completely vulnerable to any would-be attacker. His eyes widened in surprise when he actually saw who it was, and more importantly, what she was wearing…

* * *

She had just gotten off a graveyard shift at the Department of Mysteries an hour ago, where she once again dutifully guarded the hall of prophesies for no apparent reason aside from Dumbledore claiming it was important. Whatever the real reason was for guarding a prophesy that nearly cost Arthur Weasley his life, the Headmaster of Hogwarts and leader of the Order of the Phoenix had remained rather mum about it – something she and some of the other newer recruits didn't necessarily appreciate, but grudgingly accepted for the time being. Before she'd taken on that tedious duty at the DoM, she'd gone 36 hours without sleep thanks to her ever loyal squad mates bailing on their patrol duty at Diagon Alley. This forced her to pick up the slack for them, as well as do three times the paperwork. She hadn't bothered reporting them, as it would only make it harder for her in the end, with more paperwork and less friends to watch her back in a firefight. 'The life of a rookie auror…'

Tonks was exhausted when she'd finally gotten off guard-duty, and she hadn't felt like apparating home to her flat in the city that she shared with Hestia. She loved her witch friend dearly, but she brought over far too many guys. So, arriving back at Grimmauld Place, she had proceeded to enter one of the guest rooms and take a hot shower, as it always helped to soothe her frustration away. Silencing charms worked wonders for a person moving around a house full of light sleepers at night, and her alone time went off without a hitch. As the steaming hot water and a few massaging charms worked on her dwindling physical troubles, she focused on problems of a different sort: the troubles of the heart.

Remus had been rather confusing of late, which irked the metamorphmagus to no end. At the start of the summer, when she'd first joined the Order, she'd been attracted to the humble man. He seemed to carry around an air of loneliness and vulnerability that she found she internally could relate to with her own ostracizing problems, as well as an aura of strength and intelligence that she could admire in a peer. The fact that he looked cute for a man thirteen years her senior was also a plus in her books. She'd quickly overlooked the age gap between them, as she cared about the person, not what their age was. In her eyes, Remus was one of the kindest and most endearing people she was likely to ever meet, and certainly the only one that was available. That was more than enough reason for her to gain some forms of affection for the man.

When she had discovered that her crush had feelings for her as well, she'd been elated. Tonks had never had much luck with the men that she'd liked, though she'd never had a problem getting men that she didn't. She was a known metamorphmagus after all, and that did stand to strain some of her relationships, but not as much as people would think. Aside from encountering the perverted and chauvinistic asshole here and there, she was usually accepted by her peers after they got to know her. In truth, she hardly had failed relationships because… well, she hardly entered them. Despite her flirtations and benefits going for her, Tonks hardly ever felt like she'd found the right guy, and whenever she did, the guy was usually with someone else, thus her lack of any real dating experience and her eagerness to snag the few guys that did come her way that she felt were worthwhile. Knowing that, this time, she actually had a chance for a solid relationship with a naturally good guy had made Tonks rather happy. That is, until, said guy changed his mind… And then changed his mind… And, yet again, changed his mind…

It was driving her insane. One moment he'd be flirting with her and giving her all the signs that he was ready to start and actual relationship with her, but whenever the subject was actually broached, he'd choke and change his mind. It was infuriating and she'd told him as much, to which the man had responded with a profuse apology about leading her on, and then a kiss! Gods, she'd never met a more complicated man in her life, and she was beginning to rethink her affections for the man who was proving to be more of a romantic challenge than she'd expected.

As the hot water cascaded over her pale, toned body, she came to a decision: either Remus would get his act together, or she would (regrettably) move on. With the war starting up and her likely being on the front lines either as an auror or Order member, she didn't want to die before finding love. It was a selfish and morbid thought, but it was the truth of the matter. She didn't want just someone to fight alongside, but to fight for. If Remus couldn't provide that… well, she stopped herself from thinking about that. After all, it wasn't as though there was a line of potential suitors waiting outside her door. '_And Remus is a nice guy… Gah! Look at me! I can't even make up my own bloody mind now. Stupid werewolf with stupid emotional baggage or whatever the hell he's got._'

Obviously, these thoughts hadn't helped her spirits lift, so she'd dried off, wrapped herself in a towel, and quietly made her way downstairs to get a shot of firewhisky before calling it a night. What she hadn't counted on was consuming a quarter of the bottle and giving into her weariness at the kitchen table, effectively falling asleep in her towel… and nothing else.

* * *

The soft sounds of items being shuffled around woke Tonks from her light slumber.

Her head rose groggily from the table, and she noticed that it was still dark in the kitchen. Massaging her now stiff neck, she turned her head to the direction the sound was coming from and made out the faintest of silhouettes with what little light there was in the room. She carefully shifted her body to her usual public appearance as she fingered her wand which had been placed in front of her, before performing a silent "lumos". The person she saw wasn't exactly who she'd been expecting to see at this time of night, but she was curious as to what he was doing up. She watched as he first froze and then slowly turned his head to see who she was. She smirked as his eyes widened, but misunderstood the true reason for their widening, as she proceeded to light a candle that was on the table.

"Wotcher, Harry," she said, barely sober due to her metamorphmagus immunity to alcohol. She wasn't looking at him just then or she would have seen a rare sight – Harry Potter gaping like a fish.

"Uh, wotcher, Tonks…" Harry spoke quietly, still aware of the people sleeping not a few feet above him. He shuffled around a bit, trying to make himself seem blasé, though he was anything but, as he'd watched the towel ride up ever so much on her sitting form as she turned in her chair to face him. He quickly averted her eyes, further confusing the clumsy metamorph.

"Wha- ...oh," Tonks' question died in her throat as she was suddenly all too aware of her attire, thanks to a breeze drifting into the house from a nearby window, sending chills up her exposed legs. She wasn't opposed or unaccustomed to walking around with naught-but-a-towel with people she knew, but this was rather unexpected and definitely unintentional. As such, she had to struggle to control a blush of embarrassment at letting the teen see her so exposed.

An awkward quiet descended on the two, as Harry just avoided eye contact and Tonks tried to readjust her towel to better cover herself up. She would have extend it magically, but she didn't want to risk it coming loose in front of Harry, who was currently doing his level best to avoid her direction as he stared at the sealing. In fact, he'd just become aware that he himself was shirtless, as he'd grown tired of waking up with a cold sweat-drenched t-shirt thanks to his less than pleasant dreams. Tonks, who had finished adjusting her towel as best she could, had just noticed his attire - or lack thereof - as well, as she looked at Harry's rather toned appearance and promptly looked away, blushing in a different type of embarrassment.

Silence reigned over the kitchen and neither of them knew how long they remained that way; Harry standing with his hands in his pajama pockets, staring at the ceiling, and Tonks staring at the table, head bowed, and fiddling with her wand. Neither of them knew why they were being so awkward with each other, as it was just a coincidence that they found the other in such compromising attire, but neither of them made a move to break the silence aside from contemplating just leaving the room altogether. Eventually, they both got tired of it and spoke up at the same time.

"Look, I was just…"

"You see, I had…"

They both stopped what they were saying to stare at each other before simultaneously glancing at the others revealing state of dress and looking away once more with matching tinges of red lining their cheeks. A far shorter pause ensued, and then Tonks spoke again.

"This is ridiculous!"

"My thoughts exactly," agreed a hurried Harry. They still refused to outright look at each other. It may have been a bit less awkward, but they were still distinctly uncomfortable with the situation.

Tonks sighed angrily at the situation before an idea came to mind. Whether it was due to the little affect that the alcohol had over her thought process, or just her usual quirky self acting up, she didn't know. "Come over here."

Harry cocked an eyebrow as he silently walked over to the table and deftly sat across from her, watching her in a mixture of caution and curiosity. Tonks continued to stare at him, and he returned the look without a word being spoken. Harry was thoroughly lost at the moment, and he wasn't going to pretend to know what was going on in this specific girls head. Still, his instincts told him not to look away, so he stared right back.

Minutes passed and still their gazes held, neither able to look away from the others eyes. Finally, Harry raised a single eyebrow in confused amusement at the witch's antics and Tonks allowed a small smile to dawn on her face. Harry matched her smile, and Tonks smile grew into a cheeky grin. Soon she started giggling softly as they continued to stare at one another. Finally, the both of them broke out in a fit of laughter until they remembered that people were sleeping which drove them to try and hold it in. This of course only served to make whatever was so funny even funnier, and they were guffawing as Tonks scrambled for her wand and absentmindedly cast a silencing ward on the area, still choking on her held in chuckles. Eventually their laughter came to an end aside from a few peels of giggling here and there on Tonks part.

Harry watched the metamorphmagus as she tried to compose herself and allowed his eyes to wander and take in her complete form. Her hair was no longer its usual bubblegum pink color that came down to her shoulders, but rather a cropped midnight black, like his own, as well as damp. This, along with the towel and the fact that she smelled of hastily applied strawberry deodorant and slight feminine B.O that you got when stepping out of a really hot environment, and Harry safely assumed she'd just gotten out of a rather hot shower. Her irises were currently an ocean-blue and were sparkling with mirth – a sight that he found absolutely breathtaking. The candle on the table was small and cast a soft orange hue on her slightly pale body, which was rather curvy if the strain in the towel wrapped around her body was any indication. The overall sight of her was perfect, and he unconsciously sucked in a breath at the sight.

This caught Tonks attention, who had finally subdued her giggles. She saw Harry taking in her form appreciatively, and she actually smiled at the action. The kid might have been a few years younger than her, but he was still a looker and knowing that he found her attractive in her natural state (without him knowing, as well), was a big boost to her ego. She allowed her own eyes to wander over his form. He was toned in the chest; amazingly so, since she never saw past the overlarge clothes that he wore. He had the slight tan on his body, and the beginning stages of chest hair. He smelt of slight body odor and sheen of sweat was still visible on his torso, but it wasn't unpleasant. There was also a hint of lovely green mint around that she'd come to associate him with. His hair was jet black and messy as always, though she thought it looked rather roguish on him. Then there were his eyes: pools of ever-changing green, usually so full of conflicting emotions. Instead, they were now calm, and seemed to radiate a warmth that she wanted to feel on a more personal level.

For the third time that night, silence descended on the pair. However, this time it was a pleasant silence. They both looked at each other in fascination and appreciation, as they took in the elements around them. The way the house seemed to breath in and out in the silence, as though it were alive. The way the flames on the lone lit candle on the table flickered as the wick burned. Everything was so surreal in that one moment, that neither really wanted to break the silence.

Finally, Harry spoke.

"Tough day?" he questioned gently. He didn't want to pry, and while he found Tonks interesting enough, he doubted she was as comfortable with the silence that had descended upon them as he was. Funnily enough, Tonks had been thinking similar thoughts regarding him. Both of them satisfied for reasons unknown to them, but both doubtful of the others feelings.

"Yea…" she croaked out softly, "…haven't gotten much sleep lately."

"I can relate."

"Yeah?" she asked, her curiosity peaked.

"Yeah," he replied with a sad smile.

"Well… you wanna - I mean, you don't have to, of course. But if you want to, you can tell me about…" Tonks trailed off, not knowing if this was something Harry would want to discuss with a relative stranger or not. Fortunately, fate was on her side, and Harry smiled softly at the look of uncertainty and curiosity on the witch's face.

"Tell you what…" He leaned into the table and she unconsciously mirrored his actions. "I'll tell you my deal, if you agree to tell me yours."

Tonks leaned back and regarded him before smiling. "Well, okay… so, I have these teammates, right? And anyways…"

* * *

A little over two hours later and their conversation had finally come to a close. They'd spent the entire time talking, and not just about their problems sleeping. They'd shared some of their troubles with one another, quite a few of their likes, and some of their dislikes. Tonks had even gotten Harry to tell her a few stories about his adventures at Hogwarts, which she'd been kind enough to return with escapades of her own, both at school and as an auror. Nothing incriminating or rather personal was revealed, as they still needed to get to know one another a bit more. Still, there was something there during their conversation… something they couldn't explain.

For Harry, it might have had something to do with the way she rolled her shoulders whenever her collarbone acted up, due to an old injury. Or the way her lips seemed to be in an almost constant smile – one that was never awkward or misplaced, but content and open. Or even the way her nose twitched when she was curious, or the way her laugh was better than that of a little girl's, and infinitely cuter. Or a dozen other things he just couldn't quite clear his head of.

On Tonks' end, she found Harry thoroughly fascinating. From the few stories he'd told - and he was rather omitting of certain details - he was quite the mischievous person without being obvious or going overboard. Ultimately, he was a good person - that she could tell from the get-go. But the way in which he just talked to her... it made her feel special. Most people didn't talk to her,but instead through her or to her. This was due to either her low-standing position in the Order or in the Auror force, or due to her abilities as a metamorph. When Harry talked to her, it was actually to her; eye to eye and heart to heart. It was personal, it was warm, and while he seemed to guard himself rather well (something that confused her), she felt that he was always completely honest with her regarding what he little he did talk about. She couldn't explain it, but something inside of her felt worlds better just by having talked to him for a couple of hours, and a large part of her wanted to do it again.

And so they did. Every night that she had guard duty at the DoM, the two of them would meet in the kitchen at the same time and just talk with one another. They never told anyone about these little sessions, for no real reason other than it didn't feel right or necessary. For the most part, they avoided topics like the war, the Order, and anything that had any relevance to the dark times ahead of them. Instead they discussed the most trivial of things – from pranks, to parents (a tricky subject for Harry, but one he trumped nonetheless), to romantic relationships, to musical preferences. It didn't matter what the subject was, as they usually found ways to entertain themselves. They bonded throughout these sessions; they laughed, they cried, they laughed 'till they cried (over a particularly nasty prank Harry had wanted to play on Percy but had never gotten around to doing), and so on.

Occasionally there would be moments of pause, moments of silence. In these moments they'd simply take to making midnight snacks for themselves or one another - sandwiches, tea, cookies… even a rather embarrassing meal involving eggs, tea, and a once again towel-clad-Tonks. They were extremely thankful for silencing charms that night. Other times they'd just stare at different aspects of the house, or at each other. The best moments were when their eyes would meet and they'd look way in embarrassment. After a while, however, the embarrassment was gone. Tonks would simply smirk at Harry and he'd simply look back at her with those piercing emerald eyes,and they'd stay like that for minutes at a time... never knowing _why_.

Neither of them knew what exactly their relationship was to the other person. Despite their relative short time knowing each other, they'd become well acquainted to the point that they could be considered close friends, if not for the fact that they hadn't done anything together to solidify a claim to that level of closeness. That and there were always those… moments, that made them feel there was something more to their late night escapades then either was willing to admit. In truth, they didn't know what the other felt about their strange relationship because they didn't know themselves. Whatever they were, neither bothered putting it into words, so the two merely enjoyed the others presence as often as they could, while they could.

Soon enough, though, winter break came to an end. Harry went back to Hogwarts and the burdens that came with being in the worlds eye once more. Tonks went back to her usual routine of shuffling her auror duties, Order duties, and a love-me/love-me-not werewolf. As the nights passed, the two soon found that they missed their little midnight rendezvous' with each other more than they'd anticipated. No letters were exchanged, of course, and there was never a mention of the other to their friends - not even in passing. Still, there were moments when they would lie in bed late at night, unable to sleep, and think about what the other might be doing at that moment. They didn't know why they missed those late night meetings so much, and both doubted that the other missed them at all. Truth is, they couldn't explain any of these feelings, and it scared them. While Harry latched onto them privately for a few weeks, Tonks forced herself to forget them. Soon enough, Harry's dreams and visions restarted with vigor, and all other thoughts of the smell of strawberry and the sound of melodic laughter was wiped from the majority of his thought process. Still, every now and then, when they had nothing to distract them in the long silence of the night...

...they thought about those moments. 

* * *

**Author's Note:** By the way, if anyone here is a member of AO3, the relatively new fanfic site, would you mind inviting me? I'm trying to branch out to other sites in case "Through Emerald Eyes" is shut down. However, not many of them seem very appealing or applicable at the moment. Please let me know, and thanks. :)


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